LINDA
ALLEN

Shining Brightly

Q: How do you find inspiration?

A: One thing that inspires me is the simple act of walking through the woods or hiking on the way up to a destination, where I'm looking at the light, and how it comes through the leaves. Not only are the leaves green, but they can be red. And the veins can be all different colors. So, when we actually look at nature, we see so many things when we want to. I think depth is so important. And through lighting, we can create depth.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a lighting designer?

A: I knew I wanted to be a lighting designer when I was a professional ice skater. I used to stand behind the curtain next to the orchestra and see the lights dancing on the skaters, and that's when I knew that light's so magical. All the lights would transition into each other and create all these different colors, and all this enchantment.

Q: Can you name some of your influences?

A: Stephen Hawking inspires me, because he not only designs out of the box, but out of this world. My mentors and influences were my parents, because they stood near me and allowed me the opportunity to succeed, as well as my ice skating teacher, Mabel Fairbanks, who's in the hall of fame of ice skaters. She was one of the first African Americans that was in Ice Follies.

Q: Who are your favorite lighting designers?

A: One of my favorite lighting designers is Robert Irwin. My favorite lighting design is in movies and on sets; one of my favorites was in Far From Heaven.

Q: What role does technology play in your design process?

A: Lighting and technology help people outside of design, because without light we can't see. And if you think of it, lighting, fundamentally, means so much to all of us in so many ways. Art, design and technology fused for me when I had this "aha" moment. That moment was allowing lighting to go anywhere. I think technology and art both inspire each other.

Q: Can you describe your lighting style?

A: My style is soft modern, however, my thread is only used as a marriage between other people's personalities, but it's clean, unobstructed, and created so that people can actually relate to the environment that I've designed for them.

Q: Do you have any words of advice for aspiring designers?

A: As long as you teach yourself drive and as long as you push yourself to limits, it's amazing what can happen in your life. I would tell someone who really wanted to achieve their dream, and who didn't have a big support system, to follow your passion and finish what you start, which is so important.